Filling in the Blanks
by KimmyD
Summary: Picking up where the Super Mysteries left off, I'm filling in the stolen moments and things we didn't get to see. Rated T currently, but may increase later. A Crime for Christmas Part 4 updated on December 14, 2005.
1. Chapter 1

**Filling in the Blanks**

Author's Note/Disclaimer:

_I'm going to try something different this time around. The thought struck me the other night that in the Super Mystery series, there were so many unfinished moments between Nancy and Frank, that we, as readers, were left to use our own imaginations to fill in the blanks. Hence, the title of my series: Filling in the Blanks. I've taken the original stories and ran with them. I will not be telling the entire story, just condensing and using what I need to get my point across. If you haven't read the books in the Super Mystery series, I unfortunately will be giving the plots and endings away. The mysteries told within belong to the ghost writers and Simon and Schuster. I've simply added the fluff and romance that I longed to see as I read these books many years ago. Again, this is pure fluff and romance, if that's not your cup of tea, than I suggest not reading any further. In addition to the above, I'm also trying something new by telling my stories from Nancy's point of view, as if she was relating theevents as past memories.This may or may not work, but it's been a fun experience so far._

_So far, I have completed my journey into Double Crossing, the first book in the Super Mystery series. I plan to continue with at least the first five books. A Crime for Christmas will be next, followed by Shock Waves, Dangerous Games, and The Last Resort. These books held the most suspense and tension for me when it came to the fledgling romance between Nancy and Frank. I eventually will tackle The Secrets of the Nile, but I plan on revisiting the other books that fell in between to see if there are any moments I want to capture._

_Eventually, I will continue with my other story that begs to be completed, Unexpected Developemnts. I've hit a major year long roadblock on it, but do plan to continue it at some point. Like I said, I write fluff and romance better than mysteries, so my muses aren't cooperating with me on that piece of fiction. _

_Please let me know what you think of my little attempt here. I'm not begging for reviews, and I won't demand a certain number to update. I just like to have real constructive feedback and know that my stories are being enjoyed by more than just myself. _

_Enough chatting... on with the show!_

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**Double Crossing**

"Frank Hardy! What are you doing here?" I exclaimed as I unexpectedly bumped into my old friend in the elevator of a cruise ship. Frank had always had a powerful effect on me every time we crossed paths, but I was determined not to let my innocent crush on Frank ruin the wonderful relationship I had back home with my long-time boyfriend, Ned Nickerson.

At first, Frank pretended not to recognize me in the elevator that day. He and his younger brother, Joe, had gone undercover on the Duchess, the cruise ship that was taking us from Miami to Cozumel and back in five days. I, for once, was not onboard the cruise liner to investigate any mystery. I was simply a guest of one of my best friends, George Fayne, who was an activities director during the cruise. Of course that all changed as soon as I ran into Frank.

I guess I'm just a magnet for the mysterious, but no sooner than Frank and Joe had let me in on their investigation, did I stumble upon one of my own. The two brothers were simply trying to uncover which crew member was stealing from the Duchess' passengers, but I discovered a much more sinister plot by accident.

My first night on board the ship, George had arranged for the passengers to participate in a Scavenger Hunt. It was during the game that I overheard a young woman and a crew member with a Spanish accent making a deal to exchange government secrets for cash!

It was the next night after an eventful day with another cabin break in, Joe taking an impromptu dip in the Atlantic Ocean, and my prime suspect completely vanishing from the ship, Frank suggested we take a midnight swim to relax and clear our minds. I agreed readily, and found myself excited at the prospect of spending some uninterrupted time with Frank. Unfortunately, the daydreams that were dancing around in my head, were not meant to be realized right then. Before Frank arrived, I found a dead body floating in the pool!

The corpse I found sharing the pool with me, belonged to a young steward named Julio. It at first appeared that he had simply drowned by taking an after hours swim alone, but I knew that there was more to the story than that. Not only had the young woman who was my prime suspect gone missing, but now a crew member with a Spanish accent, just like I heard in the stairwell the previous night, was dead.

As Frank and I spoke with the captain shortly after we found the body, Frank kept his arm around me holding me close. I was shivering not only from the cold night air and a damp swimsuit, but also from the experience of finding a dead body floating in the water with me. Frank knew that I was distraught over the evening's turn of events, and graciously offered to walk me back to my cabin.

I had thrown my jeans and sweatshirt back on but the materials clung to my damp skin. Frank kept his arm around my shoulders as we walked, keeping me warm from the chill that seemed to permeate right through me. "Are you okay?" Frank asked, concern evident in his voice.

I nodded mutely. Frank didn't respond, just pulled me closer against him. I rested my head against his shoulder as we entered the open air deck.

"Despite the earlier events, it's a beautiful evening," he commented casually, surveying the vast expanse of starlight sky that seemed to envelop the entire ship.

"It is," I agreed softly. I looked up into the night sky and saw the bright moon shining down upon us, its soft light bathing the deck in a romantic glow. Pushing the gruesome thoughts out of my mind, I turned to face him. "So much for our relaxing evening," I said wryly.

"We can still unwind," Frank insisted, stopping in his tracks.

I raised an eyebrow questioningly. "And just how do you propose to that, Mr. Hardy?"

"May I have this dance?" he asked, stepping away from me and holding out his arms in invitation.

I laughed at him and said, "You're certifiable, Frank. There's no music!"

"Yes there is," he insisted. "Just listen."

Sure enough the faint sound of fifties music could be heard coming from the disco on the deck above us. A slow romantic melody was playing and my heart skipped as I stared at the handsome young man in front of me.

Wordlessly, I stepped into his outstretched arms. His right hand tightly clasped mine, and his left arm circled my waist protectively. We silently swayed to the music, and I felt myself relaxing into his arms. I buried my head in the crook of his neck, inhaling the wonderful scent of his subtle cologne. His left hand moved from my waist and began gently rubbing circles on my back which relaxed me even more. All too soon, the slow music ended, and was replaced with a much more upbeat number.

Frank lifted my chin with a finger and his dark chocolate brown eyes stared down at me intensely. I could see his face inching closer to mine, and without thinking, I closed my eyes in anticipation of feeling his lips on mine. But before our lips met., a loud group of passengers stumbled out into the open deck, breaking the spell that had been cast over us.

I sighed audibly and after the rambunctious crowd had passed, I finally spoke. "It's late. I probably should get back to the cabin." I regrettably stepped out of his embrace and put some much needed distance between us.

"George is probably waiting up for you," he agreed. "And I need to fill Joe in on what we found tonight." He cocked his head toward the end of the deck. "C'mon, let's get you back to your room."

We walked together in silent comfort until we reached my cabin door. I pulled my pass key from the back pocket of my jeans and nervously tapped it against my other hand. The air around us still crackled with electricity, and I was worried about the strong feelings I was having for Frank. Pushing the thoughts away, I impulsively leaned up and kissed him softly on the cheek. "Thanks," I whispered softly.

Frank's gentle smile beamed down at me, and he pulled me to him and embraced me in a comforting hug. "Anytime," he whispered into my hair. Before I could change my mind, I quickly let myself into the cabin and found George waiting up for me.

When she began questioning my intentions of a late night swim with Frank, I cut her off by explaining the corpse we had found in the pool. That changed the course of the conversation dramatically, and I was saved from revealing the details of what had almost happened between Frank and me.

When I laid down in bed that night, the comforting thoughts of dancing with Frank lulled me into a peaceful slumber. Despite everything else that had transpired that day, I slept better than I had in a long time.

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The next day didn't go any better than the day before. In fact, it only got worse. Shortly after breakfast, I was locked in a storage closet by a girl who I knew better than to trust. Luckily, it was only a few minutes before Joe Hardy came to my rescue. Shortly there after we docked in Cozumel, and Joe and disembarked the ship and went to the local ruins where we were hoping to catch the people involved in my espionage case. Again, as fate would have it, things didn't go as planned.

Joe and I somehow got separated, and I ended up being duped! I was chloroformed and dragged into a cave and left for dead. Luckily, I regained my senses, and was able to drag myself out of the cave and the local police found me shortly after I began the long hike back to the town and to the ship.

Finally, hours later, I was safely back on board the ship, and after I brief but informative meeting with the Captain, I went in search of Frank and Joe. Not finding them easily, I gave up and decided to head back to the cabin and sleep off my rotten day.

But sleep was not to come so easily – the scorpion I found in my bed had other plans for me! I managed to kill it before it struck, and saved myself from a fate worse than death, for the third time that day.

Not bothering to change out of the shorts and tank top I chose to wear to bed, and on the edge of having a nervous breakdown, I went in search once again for Frank and Joe. I needed to find them, Frank specifically. They had returned to their room only moments before I knocked on their door. They were both surprised and delighted to see me, and assured me they had done everything within their power to look for me before the ship left Cozumel. The brother's were visibly relieved at my safe return, but their relief turned into concern as I informed them of my crazy day.

The three of us brainstormed for a while before formulating a plan to out one of our suspects. It required stalling one of the passengers so I gain access to his cabin and search for the missing disks that contained the state secrets that were being sold. Frank promised me that he would keep the suspect occupied so that I had enough time to complete my search. When he handed over his all-access crew passkey to me, he let his hand linger in mine a little longer than necessary.

The current of electricity that had been there the night before was back full force once more. I saw the concern had for me written all over his face. I gave him a soft smile to let him know that I was okay, and then announced that I was going back to my cabin for some shut-eye.

"Want us to come sweep the room for any more creepy crawlies?" Joe joked with a short laugh, in attempt to lighten the mood.

I shook my head at the younger Hardy's feeble humor. "I've already faced bats and one scorpion today, I think I can handle anything else that comes my way," I retorted.

"At least let me walk you back to your room," Frank interrupted.

I opened my mouth to protest, but Frank silenced me by saying, "Don't even think about saying no."

I shot a quick look over to Joe who wore an amused expression on his face. "Is he always like this?" I questioned.

Joe laughed. "It's his damsel in distress gene. He can't help himself."

Frank glared at his brother good-naturedly. "You think mine's bad? You ought to see Joe's." He winked conspiratorially at me, as he offered his hand to helpme stand up. Turning back to his brother, he instructed him to phone the steward on call to remake my bed.

I placed my delicate hand gratefully in Frank's larger one, as he helped me to my feet. He steered me towards the cabin door and I threw a "Goodnight, Joe" over my shoulder as we entered the hallway.

"Don't let the bedbugs bite!" Joe hollered out with a loud laugh before we could shut the door.

I laughed lightly at Joe's morbid humor before turning to face Frank. "This really isn't necessary," I insisted as he shut the cabin door.

Frank looked at me pointedly and said, "Just humor me, okay, Nan?"

Seeing the concerned look still plastered across his face, I begrudgingly conceded defeat. We walked in companionable silence the entire way back to my cabin. I was exhausted and my brain had slowed to the point where I found it tiring to carry on polite conversation.

When we reached my cabin, Frank took the passkey out of my hands and swiped the card for me. I smiled at him gratefully as he cautiously opened the door. We found the room empty and the bed freshly made.

"Thank god for small favors," I sighed as I looked at my bed. I involuntarily shivered at the thought of what almost happened earlier.

"Good as new," Frank said as he eyed the bed. He glanced at me briefly before taking a few steps across the room and pulling back the comforter and sheets. He shook them a few times for good measure and even inspected the pillows as I watched on with amusement.

Even though I found the situation slightly funny, it warmed my heart to see Frank checking for more "creepy crawlies" as Joe had called them. The care and concern he was showing me at that moment made my heart flutter momentarily in my chest.

It fluttered even more a few seconds later when Frank carefully folded back the bed sheets and motioned for me to climb in.

I raised one eyebrow in question as I said, "Don't you think I'm a little old to be tucked in?"

Frank smiled gently and said, "A little pampering never hurt anyone. Especially after the kind of day you had."

"You sure know how to treat a lady," I retorted playfully, as I crossed the room to where he stood.

He shrugged his shoulders with a grin, "I try."

I sat delicately on the edge of the bed and swung my legs up onto the mattress. I could feel Frank's heated stare on my long lean legs, as I lay my head on my pillow.

He swallowed noticeably and subtly shook his head before gently pulling the covers up over my body. He sat down on the edge of the bed and asked me with a smile, "Does the lady need anything else?"

"Sleep," I answered, unsuccessfully fighting the yawn that threatened to escape.

Frank chuckled lightly as he placed a gentle kiss on my forehead. "Sleep tight," he whispered.

As he moved to stand, I willed my self with the last little bit of energy I had to sit up. I clutched the covers to my chest with one hand, and put the other hand on the side of his face. "Thank you, again," I said softly. Not stopping to think about my actions, I closed the distance between us and our lips met in the kiss that we had meant to share the night before.

Frank returned my kiss and pulled me tightly to him. I dropped the sheets that I was clutching to me moments earlier, and wrapped my arms securely around his neck. I relished the feeling of being in his arms and lost myself in his embrace.

A few minutes later, which seemed like eternity at the time, we stopped kissing long enough to breathe. Frank rested his forehead against mine as he took in a ragged breath. "Sleep," he managed to say finally. "You need your sleep."

I nodded mutely knowing that he was right, and hating it at the same time. Whatever was happening between us deserved to be explored carefully, not under the stress of the last two days.

"Good night," I whispered, leaning back on the mattress once more.

"See you in the morning," Frank said, standing up slowly. He crossed the room and considerately turned off the light before leaving the cabin.

As the door let out the familiar click, I sighed. Elation and fatigue battled violently in my head. The two emotions called it a draw, and I succumbed to a peaceful sleep for the second night in a row.

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	2. Double Crossing, Pt 2

When I awoke the next morning, my first recollection of the prior day was not of the chloroform, or the bats, or even the scorpion in my bed. My first thought was of Frank's lips on mine. I smiled at the memory as I stretched before climbing out of bed. The smile on my face was cut short when I noticed the card sitting on the bureau that Ned had given me before I left for Miami. I had vowed to myself that I wasn't going to let Frank Hardy, or any other cute boy for that matter, get to me while I was away from my boyfriend. However, I seemed to be fighting a loosing battle.

As I went about my morning routine, I compared the two in my mind. They were both alike and yet so different. Both were kind, intelligent, good-looking young men who each had a special place in my heart. They both would be long distance relationships, with Frank all the way in Bayport, and Ned off at Emerson going to college. Frank and I shared a love of mysteries, whereas Ned often resented my involvement in cases. The list of pros and cons continued as I showered, dressed, and applied my make-up.

I looked at my reflection in the mirror and sighed. I had gotten myself into a crazy situation. As unsure I was of what I truly wanted, I knew that I had to make a decision at some point.

But my love life would have to wait. The Hardys and I had a case to solve.

Later that night, I joined Frank in the darkened and empty cabin that we had set up to trap our suspect. We sat patiently on the floor as we waited for our suspect to appear. When Frank offered me a bite of his ham sandwich I smiled as I thought to myself what a lucky girl, his girlfriend Callie Shaw was.

Frank smiled back at me and said softly, "You know, Nancy, sometimes I wonder…"

My heart began fluttering in earnest in anticipation of what he was about to say.

But before he could continue his sentence, the sound of a passkey being swiped in the door gained our attention. It turned out to just be Joe, joining us on our stakeout, and whatever Frank was about to say was silenced.

I groaned inwardly, wondering if Frank and I were ever going to get the opportunity to figure out what was happening between us.

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During the Masquerade Ball the next evening, I had a clear epiphany regarding my case. I knew that the Russian spy, Andrei Bessmerkov, that we were searching for, could be found using the pictures Frank had taken throughout the length of the cruise. I enlisted George's help to comb through the enormous stack of photos laid out in front of us. We were hoping to find a shot of a man wearing the match to an expensive cuff link that had been lost earlier in the week. If we found an incriminating picture, we would have our man.

George and I poured through the photos in the privacy of our cabin. Frank and Joe were otherwise occupied in pursuit of the cabin thief. They were also narrowing in on their suspects, which left George and I to fend for ourselves. That proved to be an almost fatal mistake.

No sooner did we uncover Bessmerkov's identity in a picture, who turned out to be the Baron that tried to befriend Frank several times, did he appear in our cabin. He forced George and I to tie our tennis shoes together and pushed us out into the empty hallway. The other guests were attending the Masquerade Ball, and the hallways were deserted. As he led us further and further away from the populated areas of the ship, I managed to leave a trail of confetti, that I hoped Frank and Joe would find.

The Baron led us down to the anchor closet where we found Marcy Durbanville, my original suspect, and the seller of the state secrets, tied to the anchor chain. I was forced to tie George to the anchor, and when my horrible task was complete, Bessmerkov secured me to the anchor chain as well. He told us with an evil laugh that when the ship docked in Miami, we would become fish food when the anchor lowered us into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean.

After the Russian departed I let the other two girls know that I had left a trail of confetti for the boys to find.

"You call that a chance?" Marcy moaned. "The odds are a million to one!"

"Maybe you're right," I conceded, "but they're the best odds we've got."

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We had been tied up for hours and every few moments I silently willed Frank to find us.

Breaking the silence, I asked Marcy to fill us in on what had happened to her. She told George and I that after she met Julio she had been kidnapped by Bessmerkov and was drugged and kept in his stateroom. Eventually, he had taken her to the anchor room and tied her up, as he had done to us.

The ship's horn blared suddenly and we soberly realized that the ship was pulling into port. I insisted once more to the other two that Frank would find us. But as the chain began to vibrate and inch upward, I began to doubt my own words.

However, Frank proved me wrong and suddenly flew through the door with Marcy's friend Connor, in tow. "Frank, hurry!" I yelled, as my feet began to leave the floor.

Frank frantically began sawing at the rope with his Swiss Army knife. Marcy's bonds gave way first, followed by the ones that held George captive. By the time George broke free, I was now dangling more than a foot above the floor.

"Pull, Nancy!" he shouted. "The ropes are almost cut through. You can break loose!" He held my waist tightly against the tug of the winch. "Come on, fight!"

I thought my arms would come out of their sockets as I strained against the frayed ropes. I could hear George screaming at me to pull, and I risked a glance down at Frank.

His eyes looked at me pleadingly to keep fighting, and with one last surge of energy, I managed to break free of the binding rope.

I slid down into Frank's waiting arms and he held me tightly. George joined us, crying and laughing in relief at the same time.

After a moment of the wonderful comfort I felt being held by Frank and one of my best friends, I managed to push myself away. I told Frank and Connor Bessmerkov's identity and reminded them that we had to stop him before he left the ship.

The five of us hurried to the gangplank and yelled for Joe to stop him. Joe tackled the Baron and CIA agents swarmed the area within seconds.

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A while later, after being debriefed by the CIA agent and congratulated by the Captain of the cruise ship, we chatted with the group of diplomat's kids about the possibility of reuniting on another cruise, this time all vacation and no mystery.

I saw Frank look at me, and was wondering what he was thinking. What had George called our midnight swim? Risky – but romantic? Could Frank and I handle a cruise together that was all play and no work? I returned his glance and subtly cocked my head towards the exit.

Frank followed me out into the open air of the deck and joined me at the railing.

We looked out over the port of Miami in silence until we both tried to speak at once.

"Frank, I…" I began.

"Nancy, I…" he said at the same time.

Chuckling slightly at our predicament, I blushed and gave Frank a small smile. "You first," I said softly.

Frank took a deep breath before turning to me and taking both my hands in his own. "I'm not really sure what to say," he admitted.

"Neither am, I," I replied honestly. "But thanking you, for the third time this trip, ranks pretty high up there on my list."

Frank shrugged his shoulders lightly. "I couldn't stand it if anything happened to you," he said cautiously. "Nancy, I'm not sure what is happening between us…" his voice trailed off as his eyes searched mine.

"I'm not sure either," I admitted. I paused momentarily to find the right words. As I opened my mouth to speak, I heard Joe's voice call out across the deck.

"There you are! Frank, we've got to get to the airport. We don't want to miss our flight back to New York," Joe yelled.

Frank glanced over my shoulder at his brother, "I'll be there in just a minute!" he hollered back. Turning back to face me, he looked at me with a sad smile. "I'm sorry, but it looks like we've got a plane to catch."

"I know. I'm sure George will come looking for me shortly, too," I answered.

"Take care of yourself, Nan," he said sincerely.

"I will," I replied. "You do the same. And keep your brother in line, too."

Frank laughed lightly, "I'll do what I can. See ya, Nancy."

"Bye, Frank," I said softly. When he turned to walk away, I turned back to look out over the city once more. I was lost deep in thought when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I twirled around hoping to find Frank standing before me. Instead, I saw George's smiling face.

"Frank said I would find you out here," she said. "You ready? We've got to head to the airport ourselves."

"Ready as I'll ever be," I replied with a smile.

I inhaled the salty air, taking one last sweeping glance around the massive cruise ship. I was proud at what the four of us had accomplished during our cruise. Not only had we captured the cabin thief, we managed to take down one of the most elusive Russian operatives that had ever existed. As successful as we had been, there was one that remained unsolved – the mystery of what was happening between me and Frank Hardy.


	3. A Crime for Christmas Part 1

_Author's Note: Thanks for all of the wonderful encouragement and feedback on the missing moments in Double Crossing! I'm glad everyone's enjoying the series, so far. :) This next one was a bit trickier, as the case(s) were a little harder to create a synopsis for without telling the whole story. Plus, there were**plenty** of moments that needed to becapturedin this exploration. Some I could go no further with, since the cases took priority, and disturbing that would've altered the entire concept of the novel. So, I added a special scene of my own towards the end -- which you will patiently have to wait a few days for:)_

_A side note to Andy, if you're reading this: Since you said that you've had the idea before and were curious as to Frank's thoughts, I'll make you a deal, if you're game. You can co-author with me and write Frank's side of the story and I'll do Nancy's, if you'd like. Let me know via feedback and we can go from there if you want._

_Now... on with the show! _

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**A Crime for Christmas**

It was several months after my impromptu run-in with Frank and Joe on the cruise ship when Frank called me out of the blue.

The Chief of Police of New York City, Sam Peterson, had enlisted Frank and Joe's help to catch two young cat-burglars that had pulled off several of New York's most infamous art and jewelry thefts. The newest exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum was that of the crown jewels of a small country called Sarconne. The foreign dignitaries were in town celebrating their countries 500th anniversary, as well as the loaning of the precious jewels to the museum. NYPD was sure that the Sarconne jewels were a target, and desperately wanted to thwart any attempts at theft.

Frank and Joe were asked to help, as the cat burglars were believed to be quite young, and the police didn't have anyone young enough to blend in without being identified. When Frank called me to ask me for my assistance, I readily jumped at the chance, as did another one of my close friends, Bess Marvin.

On the day of our arrival into New York City, Bess and I had arranged to meet the two brothers at the corner of Fifth and Fifty-Seventh. We arrived at the hotel early and before meeting the two decided to do some shopping. After spending too much money in Bloomingdale's, Bess and I happened upon a small gourmet chocolate store. Bess's flirting with the young store clerk scored us two special order chocolate crowns that looked absolutely divine.

We arrived just on time to meet the Hardy's when suddenly, Bess's bags were snatched and she screamed, "Stop! Thief!"

I whipped around and saw three men running through the thick city crowds. I dashed after them and surprisingly caught a glimpse of two of them standing on the corner of Fifty-Sixth, wearinghats slung low on their heads to obscure their faces. The one on the left held Bess's stolen shopping bag in his hand.

Quickly making up my mind to act, I charged the one on the left, yanking his arm behind him that held the bag,as I kickedhim sharply behind his knees.

"Ow!" the man cried, as he fell to the ground.

All of the shoppers around me gasped, and there was a hushed, stunned silence, before the man that was on the ground looked up. Catching a glimpse of a face of not a thief, but of Joe Hardy, my jaw dropped in astonishment."Joe Hardy!" I exclaimed.

Hearing an almost maniacal laughter, I looked over and saw his brother Frank, doubled over and holding his sides as he laughed at the sight in front of him.

"That was a mean trick!" I pouted. "I thought you were.."

"The infamous New York City chocolate thieves?" Frank managed in between his laughter. Grinning, he held his hand out to Joe and helped him up from the sidewalk.

It turned out that Frank and Joe had been crossing the street to meet me and Bess, when they saw the man snatch Bess's bag. They instantly took off after the thief, but didn't catch him. They did manage to retrieve the bag when the thief dropped it during his get away.

With that matter resolved, the four of us decided to continue on to dinner. Frank suggested The Hard Rock Café, as it was close by. The three of us agreed and we headed off to quell our hunger.

Frank and I led the way, with Bess and Joe walking behind. "I hope this place is good," Frank commented casually. "I'm starving."

"Yeah, me too," I replied. Inwardly, I cringed. Was that the most interesting thing I could think to say around him? I was starting to feel nervous. After all, Frank and I never did discuss what happened the last time we saw each other.

All I knew was that there was something special about Frank Hardy. I wasn't sure if it was his deep brown eyes, which sparkled whenever he spoke to me, or his keen intelligence which constantly questioned me. Being with Frank made me feel so alive, but also slightly guilty about Ned.

I laughed at myself and my crazy thoughts. It wasn't as if I was in _love_ with Frank. As much as we had shared, I still loved Ned, and nothing could make me change my mind. At least I'd never known anyone that could...

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During dinner, Frank explained the intricacies of the case and caught me and Bess up to speed. Well, he attempted to inform the both of us, but Bess was too busy eyeing the handsome young man at the table across from us, to truly pay attention to what Frank had been saying.

When we arrived back at our hotel, Bess suggested that we go listen to the singer playing in the lobby bar and order some dessert.

"I don't know, Bess," I said with a little frustration. She had hardly paid any attention at dinner, and we had more important information to discuss. "We really need to get started on this. There's so much we need to look over in Frank's notes."

Bess began practically whining and I looked at Joe and Frank for help. Before they could state my case, a strange voice interrupted our conversation.

"I hear the singer is one of the best in New York." I turned around and came face to face with the same young man that Bess had been eyeing in the restaurant.

The young man introduced himself as John. He had a slight accent that I couldn't quite place. He seemed a little too friendly and eager to join our group. He immediately invited us to go listen to the singer as his guests.

Bess looked at me pleadingly once more, as our new acquaintance John insisted that we join him. Suddenly though, he changed his mind and apologized for bothering us.

"What was that all about?" Frank asked as the young man disappeared toward the bank of elevators.

I was just as confused as Frank was, but I smiled at the dreamy look on my friend's face. "I think Bess has an admirer."

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Bess and I were dropping off our bags in our room before leaving to meet up with the brothers in their room. She was rambling on and on about the mysterious man we met downstairs and about how dreamy he was, when suddenly she focused her gaze on a noise at the window and let out a scream.

I saw a shadowy figure of a man outside our hotel room window and gasped. I instantly reached for the light switch, and the room instantly fell into darkness. "Get down behind the bed!" I hissed.

I carefully crawled over to the nightstand and picked up the bedside phone. I punched in the Hardy's room number and when Joe answered, I told him to hurry to our room. I didn't give him any time to ask questions before hanging up the phone.

The person outside our window turned out to be John, the man I had called Bess's admirer. Bess turned on the light and let him inside. As he crawled through the window, the sound of Frank's fists pounding on the door echoed like gunshots.

"What's going on in there, Nancy? Open up!" he yelled.

I ran to the door and let the brothers inside our room. "False alarm," I said.

John explained his passion for climbing as a not so believable excuse for being outside our window. Although Frank, Joe, and I found John quite unnerving it was clear that Bess was more than infatuated. John quickly had persuaded Bess to join him for a night on the town.

I couldn't let my friend wander the strange city with an even stranger man, so I agreed to join the pair. Frank and Joe reluctantly agreed as well, and soon the five of us were partying our way across the island of Manhattan.

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The lights of the club were blinding as Frank and I danced to a pulsing rhythm in Club Neon, the first stop on our New York City adventure. Fake snow shot of makeshift pipes in the ceiling and I laughed as it fell into my hair. "Christmas, club-style!" I grinned.

I recalled the last time Frank and I had shared a dance. The music was so soft and subtle aboard the Duchess that night, but the pounding of our hearts had been even louder.

Frank reached over and gently brushed a "snowflake" off of my cheek.

I leaned in closer to him so I wouldn't have to yell. "You're fighting a loosing battle!" I informed witha smile.

Frank's dancing slowed and he looked at me with a more serious expression. "I know." On impulse, he grabbed my hand and was about to lead me off the dance floor when we were stopped by John and Bess, who informed us we were already moving on to stop number two of the evening.

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After a whirlwind of an evening we finally arrived at our hotel, sans John. As he hailed the four of us a cab, he insisted that he left his scarf in the club and would join us later.

Strange circumstances in the comedy club left Frank, Joe, and I wondering if John could be one of the cat burglars that we were looking for. Our suspicions didn't sit too well with Bess, who was more than enamored with the handsome young man.

When Bess and I finally arrived back at our room we were shocked to discover that it had been ransacked! We immediately called both security and the Hardy's who responded immediately. Security swept the room and found nothing, while Joe played big brother to both Bess and I.

When we finally settled in for the night, I found myself once again drifting off to sleep as thoughts of a certain dark haired young man filled my head.


	4. A Crime for Christmas Part 2

_Author's Notes: Thanks so much to everyone who's following my little adventure. I appreciate all the wonderful comments you all have bestowed upon me. To Andy -I wish you would reconsider, but I understand. I'm sure your writing is perfectly professional, mine's not quite there yet, either! But, when you're ready - look me up and we can co-author something after this venture is over. _

_As for the style of the story, I had only planned to write from Nancy's perspective. I feel more comfortable doing a females first person perspective, as I am a female. I don't understand men, much less know what, or how,they think - so I find it a little harder to write their thoughts. :) But once I've finished this, I might go back and do the same series from Frank's perspective, if I can manage it. But, that's just a thought folks, don't get your hopes up yet! We've got this story to get through first, before I even think of attempting anything else._

_Now... on with A Crime for Christmas, Part Two. Enjoy!_

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The next morning I joined Frank in the lobby of the hotel, while Bess joined John for a Broadway show. Joe and Frank were hoping to catch a glimpse of the thieves. Joe was disguised as a tourist taking pictures of the hotel, while Frank pretending to be nonchalantly reading the newspaper.

Joe unbelievably ended up meeting an attractive young red-head named Fiona Fox, who caught him taking pictures of her! Frank and I watched on in amusement, and Frank laughingly called his brother the Don Juan of Bayport. Somehow Joe managed to get a number instead of a black eye. Later, the three of us developed the rolls of film that Joe took, and we poured over them for the rest of the afternoon with no success.

The day flew past in a blur and suddenly it was bed time once again. I had finally fallen into a peaceful sleep when a tapping noise lulled me out of my sleep. I threw off the covers and donned my robe, to find John at our room window once again. 'Does he not know how to use a door?' I thought to myself as I opened the window and allowed him entry.

John insisted that there were people after him and we had to help him escape the hotel immediately. Immediately on guard, I called a sleeping Frank and told him the story. He and Joe came to our room and helped us disguise John. We made it safely out of the hotel without attracting any attention, but before we could hail a cab we were stopped by the police. The officer announced that we were all under arrest for kidnapping Crown Prince Jean-Claude of Sarconne!

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An overly excited Bess, along with Joe, Frank, and I joined the Prince and his bodyguard/cousin Count Reynaud the next morning for brunch before heading to the Metropolitan Museumfor a private viewing of the crown jewels.

Jean-Claude managed to get away from the overprotective Count Reynaud and we found ourselves heading to Central Park. Our quaint outing was disrupted when Jean-Claude stopped to buy us hot roasted chestnuts and was attacked and kidnapped by the vendor. The four of us commandeered the limousine that had taken us to the park and Joe jumped behind the wheel in hot pursuit of the men that held Jean-Claude captive.

After rescuing the Crown Prince, he and the count took the four of us out to celebrate. When we arrived back to the hotel, Reynaud made it clear that Jean-Claude was staying in for the rest of the afternoon. We put Bess on guard duty in the lobby, and stationed Joe in the hallway that led to the Crown Prince's room.

Trusting Bess and Joe to keep an eye on Jean-Claude, Frank and I headed up to my room to go over our notes.

"What a day,"I sighed, as I tossed my purse onto the bed.

"You can say that again," Frank agreed, following me into the room, and shutting the door behind him.

I rubbed the back of my neck – it was killing me. The stress we had been under since arriving in New York had found a permanent resting place in between my shoulders.

"You alright?" Frank asked, watching me intently.

I grimaced as I attempted to work out the tension with one hand. "Yeah, just a little tense," I answered. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I hung my head down and closed my eyes as I kneaded my sore neck and shoulders.

"You don't look alright," Frank commented, crossing over to stand in front of me.

"Why don't you let me help?" To accentuate his comment he cracked his knuckles elaborately and grinned, "I've got magical fingers."

'I'm sure you do,' I thought to myself wryly as I looked up at his grinning face.

Aloud I teased, "Then put those fingers to work, Hardy."

Frank sat behind me on the bed and I practically shivered with goose bumps at his near presence. He softly moved my hair out of the way and put his strong hands on both sides of my shoulders. He gently began kneading the sore area and his thumbs pressed firmly on the knots.

I took in a quick breath at the pressure and Frank continued his ministrations. "Too hard?" he asked quietly.

"It's a good hurt," I promised him. As he pressed and prodded I could feel the tension slowly residing. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the personal attention he was giving me… and my sore neck. "Feels good," I murmured softly, my eyes still closed.

"Good," he whispered, as he continued the relaxing massage.

Finally, all the tension was gone and I knew the knots were history, at least for the time being. I didn't want him to stop, but we had other more important things to concentrate on.

I reached across my chest and placed my small hand over his that was still massaging my shoulder blades. "Much better," I told him.

Frank let his hands trail from my shoulder blades down the length of my arms, rubbing them lightly. "Told you I had magical fingers," he teased lightly.

I craned my neck over my left shoulder to face him. "That you do," I agreed. I looked at those dark chocolate eyes I just wanted to get lost in and said, "I'll have to repay the favor sometime."

"I'll hold you to that," Frank said huskily.

Gulping at the sexy tone in his voice, I turned my entire body this time to face him. "Frank," I began, unsure of exactly what I was going to say.

Just then the phone rang and interrupted whatever it was that I might have said.

Silently cursing to myself, I got up and crossed the room to answer the ringing phone.

"Hello?" I answered, with more than a hint of impatience in my voice.

It was Jean-Claude looking for Bess. When I told him that she was down in the lobby on surveillance he said that he would pick her up there. I slammed the phone down in frustration and turned to Frank. I quickly filled him on the short conversation I had with Jean-Claude and we immediately headed to the lobby to intercept him.

We ran into Joe chatting with his new friend Fiona, and her father Dr. Fox, and he pointed to Bess and Jean-Claude snuggling in the corner. Suddenly, Count Reynaud appeared and thundered "There you are!" when he found the three of us talking to Jean-Claude and Bess.

After a tense conversation with the Count in which he accused Bess of being a 'lower class gold-digger', and called me Frank's girlfriend, Jean-Claude demanded a written apology to both his parents and Bess. Reynaud had the good graces to look very contrite and sincerely apologized. Jean-Claude informed his cousin that if he really wanted to make it up to him, he would arrange for a night on the town without the Count or bodyguards in tow.

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The five of us ended up at yet another loud and crazy nightclub. This time the place had live music with an acrobatic guitarist and steel cages with dancers. Another odd feature, were tunnels along the walls that had numbers marking their entrance.

"I wonder where those tunnels go?" I mused. Frank and I were sitting at a table sipping our drinks as Jean-Claude danced with Bess and Joe danced with a girl he had just met.

"A couple to storage rooms," Frank answered me. "The others lead to the sidewalk. The doors used to be hidden."

I gave Frank a skeptical look. "How do you know all this?'

Frank told me he had read about the club in a guidebook. He informed me that during Prohibition it was used as a speakeasy, and that the trap door on the first floor let people down into the illegal area. The tunnels leading to the storage rooms hid the booze, while the others allowed patrons to escape when the police was raided.

"I'm impressed," I said simply.

"You should be," Frank answered with a smile. The subdued lighting softened the features of his face in an even more handsome way. "Now that you're my girlfriend, I have to do things to impress you."

I looked at him with a confused expression on my face. It sounded as if he was joking but why on earth would he say something like that, unless…

Frank's voice interrupted my scattered thoughts. "Reynaud's comment in the lobby?" he reminded me. "He referred to you as my girlfriend."

"Oh. Right," I replied softly. "Imagine that…you and me." I meant to laugh the comment off, but suddenly my throat felt as if was filled with cotton, and the comment came out sounding wistful instead.

I waited nervously for Frank's response, but when he replied softly, "Yeah, imagine," I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding.

His warm brown eyes searched mine as if he was trying to find the perfect words. Frank's hand reached over and covered mine. I looked down at our joined hands and blushed slightly.

"Nancy?"

"Yes, Frank?" I replied hesitantly, unsure of if I really wanted to hear what he had to say.

"Four guys in ski masks just came in the door," he said pushing away from the table.

In confusion I looked to where Frank's attention was directed. I saw Bess and Jean-Claude duck out through one of the tunnels and suddenly we were in hot pursuit of the couple and more would be kidnappers.


	5. A Crime for Christmas Part 3

_This chapter is pure undadulterated FLUFF :) Here's the long awaited Ice Skating scene... with lots more added. The original conversation is kept true to form.. I will not be changing any dialouge that was originally written. After all, that's what kept us on our toes and waiting for more of those lovely little moments. I will only be adding "deleted" or what should have happened afterwards scenes. Glad everyone is still enjoying my little attempt. :) _

_If anyone has any ideas on how to proceed with Shock Wave and Dangerous Games, I'd be more than happy to hear them. Shock Wave is the worst since Frank spends his time flirting with Taryn, and Buck is all over Nancy, and of course Ned is there for the entire time. Dangerous Games has better moments, but once again... Ned's around for the majority of the story. Just not sure how I'm going to get around Mr. Nickerson in those two stories without altering their entire universe. So, post your ideas in the feedback section and help a girl out, please:)_

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Jean-Claude had been recovered successfully the night before and Joe had been attacked in his own hotel room. The longer we were in New York, the crazier the days seemed to be getting.

The prince convinced us to go ice skating at Rockefeller Center that afternoon. While we were at the rink, Bess and Jean-Claude's mushiness apparently got under Joe's skin, and he blew up at the couple. He exchanged angry words with his brother too, and stormed off, leaving Frank and I alone.

Joe returned shortly, his mood changed dramatically. He had apparently run into Fiona and convinced her to join him at the skating rink. As I watched the two couples skating hand in hand, lost in their own little world, I found myself lost in daydreams of my own.

I pictured myself gliding across the rink with Ned, looking up into his eyes, when suddenly I realized they weren't Ned's eyes I was looking into. I couldn't control the rush of blood to my face as I shook myself out of my daydream.

I felt Frank's presence beside me, and just knew that he was going to notice and ask me what was wrong. But if he did notice, he didn't let on. Instead he kept staring out at the rink as I had been doing moments before.

Finally, in a soft almost shy voice, Frank turned to me and said, "Looks like the four of them are having fun."

I nodded wordlessly and followed his gaze to the rink where the couples were having the time of their life.

"Maybe we ought to…" he began, letting his voice trail off.

"Ought to what?" I prompted.

He turned to look at me once more, this time his face only inches from mine. "You know, I've been doing some thinking, Nan," he said. I could feel his heated stare and my heart pounded in anticipation.

Just then, a roar went up from the crowd and the two of us looked around in confusion. The first snowfall of the year had begun. I turned back to Frank and smiled. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," he replied.

I wondered frantically if he was going to finish what he had started to say. Taking matters into my own hands, I softly brushed away a snowflake from Frank's cheek, just as he had to done to me at the club two nights before.

Frank glanced briefly at the rapidly falling flakes, before returning his gaze on me. "You're fighting a loosing battle," he said, parroting my words from the other night.

"I know," I responded softly.

Frank's hand closed over mine that was still pressed to his cheek. I saw him beginning to inch towards me, but his attention was quickly pulled elsewhere.

I followed his gaze and found Joe and a man, who I finally recognized as the chestnut vendor who had kidnapped Jean-Claude, locked in a heated argument! Frank and I quickly ran to the skate rental shack so we could enter the rink. We grabbed the first pairs available, and made a beeline for the ice.

No sooner than we stepped foot on the ice, was I grabbed by a stranger for a heart stopping game of Snap the Whip. By the time the rink guard broke up the game, the chestnut vendor, Joe, and Fiona were nowhere to be found.

Frank and I rushed back to the rental shack once more and asked the incompetent cashier if she had seen anyone matching Joe and Fiona's description. After much prodding and prompting, she remembered that Joe left a message with her saying he would meet us at Sak's like we had planned.

Thoroughly relieved, Frank and I wandered back over to the edge of the ice.

"Look at is this way, Frank," I said. "Jean-Claude is safe for the time being, one kidnapper, at least, is out of sight. And the robbers wouldn't dare pull anything here in broad daylight."

Frank then made a little half bow for me to enter the rink. "I guess that means I have an hour to show you a little something about skating."

"Oh, we'll see about that!" I said, my feet sliding around in my oversized skates. I gave Frank a mischievous grin and took off onto the ice. I joined thethrong of skaters and glided as fast as I could through the crowds. Every so often I would check behind me and see Frank trying to catch up. I laughed to myself and decided to cut him a break, and headed for the center of the rink so he could catch up to me.

I attempted to glide gracefully across the ice, but with my skates at least two sizes to big, graceful I wasn't. I finally stopped in the middle of the rink and glanced around in awe at my surroundings. Here I was in the middle of a picture perfect postcard of a New York City Christmas. It was a beautiful scene - the majestic Christmas tree stood guard, and a lightly falling snow made the moment even more magical.

I was brought out of my reverie when I heard a _"swhoosh" _behind me. I turned around and found a smiling Frank standing there. "Hi."

"Hi, there," I grinned back. "Glad you could make it," I teased.

"Very funny, Nan." Frank retorted.

"I try," I laughed, shrugging my shoulders. I did a lazy figure-eight around him, and made a sweeping motion with my arm. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Frank surveyed the area, before his eyes rested back on me. "It is," he agreed. The way he was looking at me, I was unsure if he was talking about the scenery… or me.

Suddenly, I felt a bump from behind and almost lost my balance. My arms flailed wildly as I tried to keep myself from falling. Frank reached out his arms in time to stop me from falling flat on my face, and the wayward skater that had bumped into me yelled a quick "Sorry!" before skating away.

"Thanks," I said softly, enjoying the feel of Frank's arms around me. My face was a light shade of red, both from the cold and the embarrassment.

"Anytime," Frank replied. He unwrapped his arms from my waist and took both my hands in his. Wordlessly, he began skating backwards, pulling me along with him.

As we made our way back to the outer circle of skaters, I grinned, "I think you might skate better backwards, than forwards."

"Yeah, well at least I can stand on the ice without falling down," Frank teased right back. The words had barely left his mouth when another skater cut him off and Frank tried unsuccessfully to stop. He lost his footing, and he hit the cold ice, pulling me down with him.

I laughed heartily as the crowds skated around us, "You were saying?" I managed to say through my laughter.

Frank blushed, as he dusted himself off. "Point taken," he conceded, as he stood up. He reached down a hand to me and helped me to my feet. "I'm blaming the skates," he insisted.

"Sure, Hardy," I winked. "I think it's the feet inside the skates that are the problem."

"Yeah, they don't fit," he laughed. "Mine are at least two sizes to big, yours?"

"The same," I replied.

"Then why don't we ditch the skates and go get some hot chocolate?" he suggested.

"Sounds like I plan," I agreed. As much fun as it would be skating around the rink with him, I wasn't too keen on the idea of all the bumps and bruises that would appear tomorrow if we kept falling down.

He took my hand in his once more, as we skated back to the rink entrance. We managed to make it without falling down and we both sighed in relief as we stepped off the ice.

"You said something about hot chocolate?" I reminded him, after we had exchanged out the rental skates for our shoes.

Frank grinned. "That cold, huh?" He tapped the end of my red nose with his finger lightly for emphasis.

I blushed at his touch, but the color that went to my cheeks was lost in the color from the cold. "A little," I replied. I rubbed my hands together to warm them up.

"Well, c'mon, let's go get a steaming cup and warm you up." He stood up from the bench we were occupying and held his hand out to me.

I took his offered hand, which was just as cold as mine. As we walked through the crowds to the concession stand I looked down at our joined hands. "We're not skating anymore," I reminded him softly, lifting up our hands in question.

"I know," he answered simply. He interlocked his fingers with mine, in response to my statement and a warm rush spread through me.

I wanted to ask him what was going on, and what he was thinking, but I couldn't bring myself to find the words. Deciding just to go with the flow, I pushed the torrent of thoughts out of my mind.

"Two hot chocolates, please," I heard Frank say, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I sighed inwardly as Frank released my hand to hand the cashier money. Frank handed me a steaming cup of cocoa, and I wrapped both of my hands around the warm cup. "Wonderful idea you had, Hardy," I said, taking a light sip of the hot drink.

"I have a few of those every now and then," Frank laughed in response. We moved away from the concession stand and his hand reached for mine once more. This time I accepted it without question, and we meandered through the crowds silently, sipping our drinks and warming up considerably.

When we finally claimed an empty bench near the rink and I asked Frank "Do you see Bess and Jean-Claude?"

Frank released my hand and pointed across the rink, "They're over there."

I followed his gaze and watched as the happy couple skated hand in hand. A small smile crossed my face as I saw Jean-Claude reach down and give Bess a soft kiss. I was happy for my friend, and glad that she was enjoying herself. "Aww," I grinned. "They look happy don't they?"

"They do," he agreed. "And so did Joe and Fiona earlier." He casually draped his arm over my shoulders. "There must be something about this place."

"There must be," I echoed, resting my head on his shoulder.

Frank dropped a quick kiss on the top of my head before speaking, "Nan," he began.

"Yes?" I questioned, raising my eyes to meet his.

"Like I tried to say earlier…. I've been doing some thinking," he said solemnly.

"About?" I asked softly, my heart thumping rapidly in my chest. I bit my lip in nervousness as I wondered what he was about to say.

"Us," came the simple answer.

I looked down and toyed with the cup in my hands. "Don't, Frank," I said, finally raising my eyes to meet his again.

The confusion was evident in his eyes as he looked back at me. "What?"

"I don't want to think about it, I just want to enjoy it," I answered softly. "I don't know what's going on here," I admitted. "But I like it. And if we stop to think about it, we'll _**think**..._"_ 'About Ned and Callie' _I continued on in my mind.

Frank regarded me carefully as he listened to my words. We shared a crazy connection and I knew he knew what I was trying to say. He nodded in agreement as he finally responded. "Okay," he answered. "No thinking, just enjoying."

He gently brushed a stray lock of hair off of my face and a small smile crossed his face. "I think I can manage that."

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	6. A Crime for Christmas Part 4

_Author's Note: Okay boys and girls, this will wrap up A Crime for Christmas section of my story. It might seem a little stilted how I wrapped things up too quickly, if it does.. I apologize. I tried to wrap it up in anice little bow, but not sure if I succeeded. There's just so much to this story, that it was hard not to retell the entire thing. I've added two additional scenes. They're all entirely figments of my imagination. The what should've been scenes. They're fluff of course. :) Would you really expect anything else? I hope you guys enjoy! Just please be patient as I attemtpt Shock Waves. I think I have one or two installments completed, but that darn Ned is throwing me for a loop! I should start posting that at some point during the weekend - I hope. So let me know what you guys thougtht of my foray into this book, I hope it was worth reading!_

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After our little detour at the ice skating rink, the five of us decided to take carriage rides through the park. We lost Bess and Jean-Claude - they had been kidnapped! When Jean-Claude arrived back at the hotel without Bess, we set out to find her. We discovered her in an old abandoned warehouse in a grimy part of town. Jean-Claude saved the day by bull-dozing down a wall of the ancient building to get to her.

It turned out that there had actually been two sets of kidnappers. Jean-Claude had hired the chestnut vendor to kidnap him in order to get away from his over protective cousin. The real kidnappers it turned out had been after Bess and the chocolate crown all along. Jean-Claude was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The chocolate crown that the kidnappers were after, was part of a special delivery of chocolate covered plastique that was to be delivered and detonated at the UN Gala. After breaking into the chocolate boutique, where Joe took an unwanted swim in a hot vat of molten chocolate, we rushed to the Gala to stop the bombing. We snuck in as waiters, and watched as Count Reynaud spoke suspiciously with the DJ. We quickly realized that the Count was behind the bomb plot!

Joe managed to cut the wires of the detonator and we had a tense moment when the Count grabbed Bess and held a gun to her head. Jean-Claude pleaded with his cousin, and the Count then turned the gun on him. Momentarily distracted, the Count was tackled by Frank and the shot he fired went into the ceiling instead of his intended target. I stopped the DJ from escaping and within seconds, police and security had both the DJ and Count Reynaud in custody.

Jean-Claude explained to us that there had been an underground movement in his country that opposed his father's leadership and did not want their country to become members of the United Nations. Apparently, his cousin had been secretly leading the underground group, and wanted to overthrow the government and take control of the country himself.

While we waited to speak to the police, we also inadvertently thwarted the cat burglars. All along we know a young person was involved. We had been concentrating so hard on finding a father-son team, that we missed the obvious – it was actually a father-daughter team. The young red-head that Joe had almost fallen for, Fiona Fox, and her father Dr. Fox, were the thieves!

I noticed them leaving the gala, in a rather inept disguise and called out their names. They hurried out the door, but not before dropping a leather satchel. We didn't catch them, but when we opened the bag, we discovered the precious Sarconne jewels that had been on display upstairs!

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I was packing my suitcase, while Bess was spending her last few minutes in the city with Jean-Claude. As I folded a sweater, I heard a light knocking sound on the door.

I crossed the room and peered through the peephole and saw Frank's smiling face looking back at me. "Hi," I said opening the door.

"Hi," he replied. "Can I come in?"

"Sure," I responded, stepping back to allow him entry. "I'm just finishing up my packing. Where's Joe?"

"Down in the lobby," Frank answered. "He met another girl in the elevator and invited her for hot chocolate, even though we need to be on our way to the airport soon." He laughed and shook his head at his younger brother's antics.

"Wow," I giggled. "He recovered fast, huh?"

"Like I said, the Don Juan of Bayport," he said with a grin.

I returned Frank's smile with one of my own, until I noticed that he was holding something behind his back. "Whatcha got there, Hardy?" I teased.

Frank blushed slightly as he pulled a beautifully wrapped Christmas present from behind his back. "Just a little something. A souvenir, if you will."

"Oh, Frank," I sighed softly, as he handed me the bright red and gold package. "You shouldn't have."

"I know," he answered, "but I wanted to."

Delicately shaking the box like a child at Christmas, I grinned. "So, can I open it now? Or do I have to wait til Christmas?"

Frank laughed as he sat on the edge of the bed. "Go ahead," he motioned.

I carefully removed the beautiful gold ribbon and decorative paper. Setting the wrapping aside, I opened the plain square white box and gasped in delight as I pulled out a gorgeous snow globe. The heavy globe had a silver base, and in the middle of the heavy glass was a couple skating hand in hand at what was obviously Rockefeller Center. I shook the globe gently and watch the snowflakes fall around the skating couple. "It's beautiful," I whispered.

I was staring in awe at the thoughtful gift when I felt Frank's presence beside me. "It plays music, too," he instructed, lifting the snow globe out of my hands and turning the knob underneath the base.

A familiar melody that I finally recognized as "Baby, It's Cold Outside" began to play. As the lyrics rushed through my mind, I began to blush. _'I wish I knew how, to break this spell…I ought to say no, no, no, sir. At least I'm gonna say that I tried…"_

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I tried to think of something witty to say. My gazed narrowed in on the globe in his hands and I stared at the falling snow for a few seconds before lifting my gaze to meet his. "Looks like they're fighting a loosing battle, too."

"Yeah," he answered in a soft voice. "That's exactly what I thought when I first saw it."

I slowly removed the thoughtful present from his hands and sat it gently on top of my clothes in the suitcase. "Thank you," I said sincerely. I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

Frank held me close for a few moments and neither one of us spoke. When the music that was still playing on the snow globe came to a stop, I looked up into Frank's handsome face. He lovingly brushed a strand of hair off of my face and stared back down at me. He began closing the small distance between us and finally brushed his lips against mine in a soft and sweet, but all too fleeting kiss. "Merry Christmas, Nan," he said simply.

My eyes sparkled as my heart fluttered in my chest. "Merry Christmas, Frank," I replied.

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An hour later, Frank, Joe, Bess, and I were in the lobby of the hotel waiting for the cab to take us to the airport. Frank and I sat together on one of the couches discussing our case and Bess moped silently in a chair across from us. Joe had wandered off a few minutes before and when he reappeared he stood in front of Bess's chair.

"C'mon, Bess," he pleaded. "Cheer up."

Bess pouted and crossed her arms over her chest. "Hmmph," she muttered.

Joe pulled something out of his pocket, which he dangled above Bess's head. "Look what I've got," he sing-songed.

Bess lifted her glance to Joe's hand and when she saw what he was holding, she burst out in laughter. "Joe Hardy! Where in the world did you find mistletoe?"

"Knew that would make you laugh," Joe grinned. He reached down and placed a quick kiss on Bess's cheek. "The gift shop," he replied simply.

Frank and I watched on in amusement, when Bess pulled Joe down closer and whispered something in his ear.

A decidedly evil look crossed Joe's face as he smiled wildly at whatever Bess was saying. He stood up and moved across the space towards me and Frank.

"Oh, no you don't, little brother," Frank laughed as Joe twirled the green leaf between his fingers.

I snickered at the brother's antics, but my laughter stopped when Joe held the mistletoe above me and Frank. I risked a quick look at Frank who was shaking his head at his brother.

"Uh-uh," Joe tsked. "It's tradition, you two."

"Yeah, you have to. It's tradition," Bess insisted with a smile from her seat across from us.

"Well, Nan?" Frank asked, a wry expression on his face. If only Joe and Bess knew that we had already shared a Christmas kiss of our own a little while ago.

I grinned back at Frank as I said through my laughter, "I ought to say no, no, no, sir."

"At least you can say that you tried," Frank continued on, as a confused Joe and Bess stared at the two of us who were laughing contagiously.

"Oh just kiss her already," Joe complained, wiggling the mistletoe insistently above our heads.

"Fine," Frank sighed dramatically, "If you insist." His brown eyes sparkled in amusement as he placed his hands on either side of my face. "Merry Christmas," he whispered once again, before he unexpectedly brought up his lips crashing down on mine in a searing kiss.

I faintly heard Bess and Joe gasp in unison as I returned Frank's heated kiss.

When we finally pulled apart, Joe was whistling and Bess was clapping her hands in approval. "Now that's what I call a kiss," Joe laughed in astonishment at what they had just witnessed.

'Me too, Joe,' I thought dizzily, still reeling from Frank's kiss. I blushed as I looked around the seating area at my friends. "Merry Christmas," I somehow managed to whisper back to Frank. I sighed both a contented and frustrated sigh, wondering for the millionth time just what was happening.

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"Passengers in rows fifteen through twenty, please have your boarding passes ready!" the gate agent's voice was heard, blaring out of the loudspeakers.

"Well that's us," I said. Turning to Joe I opened my arms for a hug goodbye.

"Bye, Nancy," he said with a smile, giving me a large bear hug. He then turned to Bess and did the same.

As Bess and Joe said their goodbyes, I looked up at Frank. What could I say? That it had been fun? That didn't really describe it. That I loved working with him? That sounded too official. That he made me feel so wonderful and confused that I couldn't think straight?

Deciding that there was no point in stating what he already knew, I tried to keep my emotions in check as I said, "Bye, Frank. Have a wonderful Christmas. I- I uh, hope we get a chance to do this again."

I could tell Frank read the double meaning into my words when he softly said,

"Me, too," while pulling me to him for one last embrace.

I willed myself to push away and with a small wave at the brothers I joined Bess at the entrance to the jetway.

Bess didn't say a word until the plane had taken off. After momentarily cryingabout Jean-Claude, and the fact that she'd probably never see him again, she began munching on a chocolate chip cookie she had pulled out of her carry-on bag, She turned to look sadly out the airplane window and said, "All I can say, Nancy, is you know how do it right. You never get involved."

I shook my head at how little my friend really knew. I wish I could say she had been right, but she wasn't. No matter how much I tried to deny it, I knew deep in my heart that it was too late. I was already involved.


End file.
